Leaf Collection and Mulch

The Borough is divided into nine collection zones - they are numbered 1 through 8 and Saturday. Zones by street name can be found here. The leaf collection schedule for 2019 including Saturday collections, will be posted here in October.

The schedule allows for four collections on all streets, except those that are collected on Saturday, which are collected only once or twice. Early in the program, collection crews may proceed to some routes ahead of schedule. However, each morning crews will return to the route scheduled for collection that day. Should the collection crew fall significantly behind schedule for any reason (weather, equipment problems, etc.) a revised schedule will be posted on the website with the revision date clearly indicated.

Please follow the guidelines below to help the Public Works Department run an efficient and safe leaf collection program.

* Have leaves raked to the curb by 7 a.m. on your scheduled collection day.

* Do not wait until your last scheduled pickup to rake all of your leaves. This will make it almost impossible for the Public Works Crew to complete their work by mid-December, before potential bad weather arrives.

* Do not place piles of leaves in the street, as this causes unsafe conditions for drivers and pedestrians and clogs storm drains. If you hire a service to rake your leaves, please make sure they are aware that leaves may not be piled in the street. The Public Works Crew will rake leaves into the street when the collection equipment arrives on your street.

* Rake only leaves; do not include twigs or branches, which may jam the leaf machines. If you have a gravel driveway, please make sure that the leaf pile is free of rocks.

* It is impossible for the leaf collection hose to reach around parked cars. Please make sure your car is not parked in front of your leaf pile, and do not park your car in front of someone else's pile. On streets where many non-residents park to use the train or for other reasons, the Public Works Department will post "No Parking" signs on the street prior to the scheduled collection days.

The Borough's regular collection of yard debris will continue at the same time as loose leaf collection.Those collection days are the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Leaves remaining after collection of loose leaves has ended may be included in the yard waste collection. Leaves must be placed in cans or brown paper bags - no plastic bags are allowed.

Borough Mulch does a Garden Good!
Water less, control weeds and support the local leaf recycling by using Borough mulch, made from leaves collected curbside in the fall. Borough mulch makes a perfect ground covering, retains moisture in your soil, looks great around trees, in your garden beds and pathways, and can stop erosion on slopes too.
The Borough sells mulch from the middle of March until June (or whenever the mulch runs out). Contact Borough Hall by emailing swarthmore2@comcast.net, calling (610) 543-4599, placing an order through our website (click on online bill pay) or stopping in the office.